Melissa parked at the end of a long line of cars, and we got out, welcomed by the bass of the loud music coming from the house. Some people were sitting on the porch, already littering it with the plastic cups and cigarette butts. Jessica and Melissa looked equally excited, so I willed myself to relax and enjoy the night.
Come on. Her house is huge and there are a lot of people inside. You won’t even see them, Sarah!
The blaring music assaulted my ears when Melissa opened the front door, eliminating any possibility of talking. We entered the dim hallway, which contained lots of smoke, and Melissa leaned to me to tell me something.
“What?!” I yelled, not hearing a word she’d said.
“I said I’ll introduce you to my brother!”
“Ah! Okay!”
She took Jessica and me by the hand and guided us through the sea of sweaty bodies that moved to the rhythm of a popular pop song. I grinned at the sight of a gay couple kissing next to the staircase, who didn’t take their hands off each other. Slowly, nervousness disappeared and thrill took its place, but then I realized I forgot my bag and my phone in Melissa’s car. Just great.
I had to go and get my phone at some point later, but for now I would go with the flow.
Melissa led us to her gigantic living room, dimly lit like the hallway and furnished with expensive-looking pieces. It was crowded with people, many of them dancing or drinking, and this atmosphere gave me the feeling that everything was possible. At the moment, I wasn’t that loner Sarah who couldn’t hang out with other people and have some fun. Anything could happen tonight, and I loved the anticipation.
Melissa drew one tall guy away from the group of his friends. “Girls, meet my brother Steven. Steven, this is Sarah and Jessica.”
I had to raise my head in order to meet his eyes. He was really tall, probably around 6’5”. He gave off a bad vibe and a terrible smell; his face looked unhealthy because it was puffy and sallow, at odds with his too muscular physique. My skin crawled because of the way his blue eyes with dilated pupils looked at me.
“Nice to meet you,” he slurred, not taking his eyes off of me.
It dawned on me why his gaze seemed strange. It was because he was stoned. I glanced at Melissa, and she shrugged her shoulders, uncomfortable about it. Somehow, I was glad that he didn’t offer a handshake because I didn’t want to come in contact with him.
“What would you like to drink?” he asked us, looming over me in a strange way. “We have everything, so you can pick anything you want.”
I wasn’t sure what I should say. I drank alcohol only a few times before, but I didn’t know what I could drink now. Besides, I felt like I shouldn’t take anything from Steven. He came across as one of those guys who could put anything in my drink, and I didn’t want to take any risks at some stranger’s party.
“I’ll pour us the punch,” Melissa said, pulling Jessica and me by the hands to the table with the punch. “Sorry. I didn’t expect him to be so wasted already. That jerk. But don’t worry about the punch. It’s alcoholic, but it isn’t laced with any drugs.”
She handed us our drinks, and we tapped our cups together, saying cheers. The punch tasted unusually sweet, without the bite I expected. Just as she filled our cups again, I decided that this party was not so bad.
I wasn’t used to alcohol, so several cups of punch later, I was already three sheets to the wind, all hyperactive and happy. When Melissa pulled us to dance, I didn’t even hesitate, my body following the beat of the music. There were so many people around us, but I didn’t care. I didn’t care if they were going to find my dancing strange or think there was something wrong with me...
I don’t care, and it’s absolutely amazing.
We kept dancing, laughing at each other. I could unleash the wild energy that was locked inside of me all the time, and I felt free. I could do anything I wanted. Anything is possible.
Mateo. I couldn’t wait for Mateo to come, and for the first time I didn’t want to think about the consequences of my actions. Even if I got just one evening with Mateo, it was enough. It was more than I ever had.
As the tempo of the music sped up, Melissa grabbed Jessica’s and my hand, and initiated some quirky, energetic dance, spinning us around. Everything became a blur, and I closed my eyes, enjoying the thrill coursing through my veins, laughing and laughing. I never wanted this to end.
However, the happy bubble that kept me high was broken when I hit someone’s hard body behind me. I turned to face them, ready to apologize, but then I met Josh’s harsh eyes. I frowned, taken aback, noticing his own surprise on his face.
“What are you doing here, cunt?”
I could ask you the same. “Enjoying the party, obviously,” I replied sarcastically, failing to feel the fear I always felt near him. Somehow, after all that alcohol, it wasn’t difficult for me to talk back to him at all.
“Talk back to me again, and I’ll make sure you won’t enjoy it at all,” he threatened me with a sneer. Natalie and Christine appeared next to him, both of them glaring at me.
“What are you doing here?” Natalie fired her question at me.
Oh great. They were here too. Just my luck.
“I think Josh has already asked that unoriginal question.” I cast her a mocking gaze, enjoying to press her buttons. Seriously, why wasn’t I this brave when I was sober? Natalie fuming with anger was rather funny.
She dug her nails into my arm, looking at me like she was ready to chop off my head. “You’re so dead.”
She raised her hand, but Melissa intervened, seizing her arm. “Hey, hey, hey! Slow down! Take a chill pill!”
Natalie brushed Melissa’s hand off her arm. “Don’t touch me,” she hissed at her. “I have no idea who let you in here, but you’re leaving now!” Natalie told me, looking ready to throw me out right away.
This time it was Christine who moved to grab my arm, but Melissa blocked her, and Josh shoved her away.
“Hey! Lay off!” Melissa shouted, glaring at Josh. “I don’t know what your problem is, pal, but you won’t treat us like this, especially not in my house!” She scowled at Christine and Natalie. “The same goes for you, Devil’s spawns! You’re the ones who should leave!”
She stared them down, her tall frame hovering over Natalie and Christine. She looked like she could hit them any moment if provoked, and I felt a wave of admiration and gratitude toward her. She was ready to fight for us, not caring about the consequences.
I wanted to fight my battles like that. I wanted to be brave, strong, and confident. Encouraged by Melissa’s strength and the amount of alcohol I consumed, I got into Natalie’s face.
“I’m not going anywhere. You may live in an illusion that I’ll always let you walk over me, but you’re wrong. And if you don’t like that, you can just go fuck yourself.”
I watched her face fall in pure pleasure, finally able to let her feel some of her poison. Still high on adrenaline and power, I snatched Christine’s drink out of her hand and poured it over Natalie, sending the liquid all over her face and chest. She shrieked and gaped at me.
Melissa went into a fit of laughter, and Jessica looked at me in awe. I felt so proud of myself, which was a long-forgotten feeling. I wished it could last.